Thursday, October 27, 2011

Repatriation of Americans from Martyrs Square

Martyrs Square Tripoli parking lot where eight officers and men of the USS Intrepid are buried in an unmarked grave, "one cable's length" - or 720 feet from the castle wall.

Five others are buried nearby at Old Protestant Cemetery, where this sign is posted at the gate.

The Old Protestant Cemetery, Tripoli, where five of the men of the USS Intrepid are buried.

The United States House of Representatives has approved and the US Senate is considering an amendment to the 2012 Defense Authorization Act that calls for the repatriation of the remains of the American sailors who are buried at Tripoli harbor.

Master Commandant Richard Somers, Lt. Henry Wadsworth (uncle of Longfellow), Lt. Joseph Israel, of Maryland, and ten volunteers perished in the premature explosion of the USS Intrepid while on a secret night-time suicide mission against the Barbary Pirates. Their bodies were recovered and buried outside the walls of the old castle fort, what is now Martyrs Square. Later, five of the remains were uncovered by an Italian army road work crew and reburied nearby at Old Protestant Cemetery.

This is a summary of the wording of the resolution being considered as an Amendment by the Senate.

Tripoli Soldiers Summary

Legislation to provide for the exhumation and transfer of remains of deceased members of the Armed Forces buried in Tripoli, Libya

The Secretary of Defense shall take whatever actions necessary to exhume the remains of any deceased members of the Armed Forces of the US buried at the mass burial sight containing the remains of any deceased United States Sailors located n Protestant Cemetery in Tripoli, Libya and the mass burial site containing the remains of eight Untied States Sailors located near the walls of the Tripoli Castle in Tripoli, Libya.

The Secretary of Defense will transfer the remains to an appropriate forensics laboratory to be identified.

In the case of any remains that are identified, transport the remains to veterans cemetery located in proximity, as determined by the Secretary , to the closest living family member of the deceased individual or at another cemetery determined by the Secretary .

For any member of the Armed Forces whose rains are identified, provide a military funeral and burial.

In the case that any remains not be identified, transport the remains to Arlington National Cemetery for interment at the Tomb of the Unknowns.